His Little Fire
by RomanticallyUNromantic
Summary: Connor finds a girl dancing in the snow not knowing who she is or how she will change him. Aydan is an obedient young woman from Texas who thinks it's high time she went through her rebellious stage. When two storms collide it's best to just steer clear. ConnorxOC. This is my first fanfic ever! Please don't be too harsh. I hope to get lots of reviews!
1. Chapter 1

**A Moonlit Scare**

It was cold. That was for damn sure. And white. There was a lot of white. It was winter in Boston and you could most definitely tell. If the foot of snow covering everything didn't tip you off, the numbing chill that enveloped your body the minute you dared to walk out your door did. It was all foreign to Aydan as she walked down the moonlit street, watching as her breath became a wet fog in front of her face. Sure it could get cold in Texas, but goddamn. She wasn't raised for this kind of weather. She had to buy a whole new, warmer wardrobe when she arrived, taking her first steps to adapting to her new life in the north. She still couldn't understand how her father thought that moving to the colonies would be a great idea. Sure there were a lot of painful memories in Texas, but did they have to up and leave like that? It happened so quick that Felicity barley had enough time to pack everything. Her mother hadn't even been dead half a day and…..

A solid, aching lump formed in Aydan's chest. No, best not to think about that. Trying to distract herself, she listened to the sound the snow made as she walked through it. _Crunch, Shhh, Crunch, Shhh._ Call her simple, but she found it very entertaining. Soon she was trying to turn the little sounds into a type of song. She was so absorbed in the little game she had invented that she almost didn't notice when another pair of crunching sounds joined her own. Hearing the disturbance in her little musical however, she looked up and almost squealed. Almost. But, she could still feel the fear that was undoubtedly plain as day on her face.

There, practically glowing in the moonlight, was a dark figure in a white, hooded coat. It would have been a little less scary if it was daylight and she could make out his features. Maybe. It would also have helped if there were other people around, but it was almost midnight and the cold kept most indoors. Starting to panic, but trying not to show it, Aydan began to think of what was coming.

'Anything really' she thought, 'he could be trying to rob me, rape me, or kill me, possibly all of them and not necessarily in that order.' Fearing the worst Aydan began to think of what she could do to prevent such horrors. If he wanted her money she could just throw it at him and run. She didn't have a lot on her anyway. If he wanted to rape her she could scream. Everyone's doors were closed and many were asleep, but she would just have to try and hope for the best. If he wanted to kill her there wasn't much she could do. She wouldn't go down without a fight, but she didn't know the first thing about defending herself and the hooded figure looked nothing if not deadly.

As she began to ready herself for what might happen, the figure abruptly ran away leaving Felicity staring at the spot in the snow where it was only seconds ago. Without question and taking her blessings where she could find them, she quickly ran home. Well, as quickly as one could run in a dress and 12 inches of snow. Maybe this walk wasn't such a good idea after all.

* * *

Watching the girl with strange hair run away, Connor let out a small sigh of frustration. He was a full-fledged assassin for, what, ? years and he was still making rookie mistakes? If Achilles were here, he would have smacked Connor over the head with his cane for being so stupid. Turning, he gracefully leaped from the roof of the house he had sought to conceal himself behind. As though his night hadn't been bad enough already with yet another dead end in the search for Charles Lee's current location, he had to run into some strange girl and scare her off. But, he really had to blame himself for the last one. It had just been such a curious sight, her dancing in the snow like that with her skirt twirling around her and her long hair moving like fire with the force of her spinning and the wind, he had dazedly started walking towards her without even realizing it. Slowly turning, he walked down the street taking an all too familiar route. He was having a disappointing night and he had an idea of how to make it better, hoping that in the process he would forget about an elf like girl dancing in the moonlit snow.

* * *

Out of breath with lungs hurting from the cold air, Aydan walked into the house she was currently calling home with a sigh of relief. She had peeled off the slightly damp cloak that she was wearing and hanging it to dry in the closet and proceeding to slip off her gloves, when a booming voice could be heard coming from upstairs. Evidentially having heard his daughter shut the door, her father called to her from his study. Ever the good daughter, she walked quickly not wanting to make her father wait. On her way upstairs she pondered whether to tell her father of the hooded figure that had scared her so much. 'No,' she concluded, ' he would never let me go on a walk again and then he would win. No, I won't let him win. Not again.'

Now standing in front of the tall, mahogany doors, Aydan steeled herself for another argument. Knocking twice and hearing the low 'Come in.', she entered. It was a grand room with polished cedar floors, rich velvet drapes covering the windows, and an alabaster and marble fireplace that reflected the orange glow of the fire with its finely carved grapevines and willow trees. But, it was also a very comfortable room with an entire wall for a bookshelf and plush chairs scattered in neat disorder while the matching couches sat to either side of a beautiful dogwood coffee table. But, tonight Aydan's attention was to the back of the room where her father's large desk sat and in the desk her father.

Admiral Kent of Kentington was an older man of about 55. But by no means was he unsubstantial. He was built rather solidly and stood at a good 5'11, only an inch away from 6 feet. With his sandy blonde hair and sharp blue eyes it wasn't surprising he was a lady's man before he married her mother. THE lady's man if what she heard from Uncle Ben was to be believed. But now he was a widowed bachelor with responsibilities, one of them being his daughter.

Truthfully, her father was a good man without a cruel bone in his body. He just didn't think sometimes and let his temper get away with him. Like right now. He was sitting on the edge of his seat with his elbows resting on the desk and his hands folded together under his roman nose. His whole body seemed to be in a state of calm thoughtfulness. The façade would have worked too, had it not been for the rapid pulse of the popping blood vessel at his temple. Aware of the trouble she was in, Aydan decided to start since she wanted to get this whole thing over with and collapse in her soft, new bed and drift to sleep. Hopefully she wouldn't have any nightmares about white, cloaked ghosts chasing her.

" You called for me father?" she began, trying to at least start out polite. She could tell he wanted to scream at her, but instead settled for a deceptively neutral, "Yes." Knowing that he wasn't done and not wanting to anger him further by interrupting, she waited for him to continue. She stood there awkwardly for about 5 minutes before he rose from his own seat and approached her. Cautious but not afraid she gently probed, "Was there something you wished to speak with me about father?"

He chuckled lightly, "Lately, whenever I wish to speak with you about something we just end up arguing. It's not like you Aydan. We used to talk forever about everything and not have a cross word for each other even once. Now it seems arguing is all we do."

Seeing the sorrow in his eyes, Aydan sought to comfort him. " We have both said and done things to each other lately that we're not exactly proud of.", she said in a low whisper. She took her father's hands in her own, looking up at him with pleading in her eyes. "Truce?", she asked in an almost hesitant voice.

As George Kent looked into the eyes of his daughter he saw his wife in them. Aydan had gotten her strawberry blonde curls from his mother, but her eyes, oh her eyes. They were the mirror image of her mothers in every way. They were a light blue that could switch to a stormy gray in an instant, depending on her mood. When she looked up at him with those wide, doe like eyes he couldn't help but think of his Jesse. God, he missed her so. It had only been two weeks and he had already dropped twenty pounds. But, he didn't care. The only thing that kept him from completely letting go was his daughter. His sweet little girl.

It's true that he made the decision to leave Texas rather quick and didn't give it much thought, but he just couldn't stand to say. Of course, he didn't realize until later that he was also up rooting his daughter's entire life. He had taken her from everything she had ever known, all the friends she had, and her sense of security. Now Aydan had never been a willful girl, but when he told her of his decision she promptly started to yell at him for 'being a coward' and 'running away'. Needless to say, he was shocked that his sweet, obedient little girl could throw such a fit.

He supposed that was his fault though. She had never fought him before and he simply assumed she didn't care. He had truly been surprised that she turned out more like her mother than he thought. But, it was done and they were starting over in Boston. He wanted to make up for his rash actions and try to find her some way to be happy here. The answer had suddenly come to him in the form of a letter from a man, he forgot his name, saying that he had begun to admire Aydan and would like his permission to pursue her. He felt no opposition to the request, no more than any father would feel anyway, since it was an understood fact that the man was greatly respected by the community and with no small sum of money. He just hoped his daughter would quit her rebellious streak and give the man a chance.

Curling his hands around hers protectively he gave a warm smile. "Of course. Now off with you. You look tired." Returning his smile, she turned to leave when he jokingly said, "How about next time we have a fight you_ don't_ run out the door to 'get some fresh air'?"

Startled, she suddenly whirled around to look at him with a look of fear on her face. But, as soon as it appeared it was gone and a sunny smile broke out on her face making her eyes scrunch. "Good night da.", she giggled before walking out the door. He listened to her footsteps as she ascended the stairs and walked to her room. Hearing her close the door, he decided to respond to her secret admirer and give him the go ahead. Sitting behind his desk yet again he skimmed over the letter before taking out a paper, ink, and pen. He began to write.

_Dear Mr. Charles Lee…_


	2. Chapter 2 A New Day Begins

_ The sound of screaming was like a sharp knife through her skull. No, this couldn't be happening! But it was. As the distinct wail of a Savage war cry surrounded her, she ran. She didn't know where she was going, she just knew that it was far away from those deafening howls. Suddenly, she remembered her mother. She was at home. Oh Lord, she would be trapped! Forgetting the previous plan that involved running away, she instead ran back into the fray, only this time she knew where she was going. Running with all her might in desperation, she passed burning buildings and forced herself not to wonder who lived there. Finally managing to find her house, she was just in time to see her mother surrounded by Indian braves. She was about to call out when she felt a pressure on her stomach as she was lifted off the ground and on to a horse. Thinking the rider was another Indian, she started to claw and kick at him. When the rider told her to 'calm her tits' in a distinctly southern accent she stopped and wept on his shoulder. She didn't care who he was, nor did she wish to know. She just wanted to wake up from this nightmare._

Aydan woke with tears streaming down her face, creating a damp stain on her pillow. She had dreamed about 'it' again. For two whole weeks she had been unable to get a descent night's sleep and it didn't look like the dream would be letting up anytime soon. Seeing a small sliver of sunlight on her red carpet, she got up to open the curtains. Then wished she hadn't. She nearly fell on her butt with the force of the sun shining in her not-yet-adjusted eyes. Damn that burned. Slowly giving her eyes time to recuperate she walked over to her golden vanity and sat down. Looking at herself in the mirror she was not pleased. The reflection had dark circles under its eyes and it looked a little drawn with the weight she had lost. In a sum, she looked like death warmed over. Well, she would just have to fix that.

Starting today, she would eat just like she used to. No more excuses of 'I'm not hungry' or 'Maybe later'. She couldn't just mope around for the rest of her life feeling sorry for herself. She'd put on some weight and go on with life. Though, since she couldn't exactly control her dreams, there was little she could do about the dark circles except to cover them up. Oh well, she would just learn to live with the nightmares. She had been given the opportunity to start fresh and that was exactly what she was going to do. Nothing would stop her.

Putting her plan into action, Aydan called for her maid, Felicity, and had her fetch a huge breakfast. Savoring every last bite of sausage and egg in the comfort of her bed, she thought of what she was going to do that day. She could always stop by the library. Yes, and then she would go to the market to find something nice for Da as an apology gift. After finishing the last of her breakfast she stripped and stepped into the warm water of the bath she had Felicity draw while she was eating. Letting the heat seep in, Aydan began to hum as she thought to herself. She wondered if she would see the strange hooded man again. Surely not. Someone like that would only conduct their business in the seedy hours of the night. Right? Well if he was out and about she hoped she wouldn't run into him. He would most assuredly recognize her from the previous night and kill her lest she saw something she wasn't supposed to. She would just have to keep a look out for him. Except, she had no idea what he looked like. She would only be able to identify him if he still wore that white hood and he was probably smart enough not to do that in broad daylight.

Aydan played with the idea of just staying home today, but immediately shot it down. She had already said she wouldn't let anything stop her and a true Irish girl always stuck to her guns.

* * *

Connor strapped his bow over his shoulder as the last step in redressing. A small smirk adorned the visible part of his face as he walked out the door, remembering last night. Elizabeth Hopkins was a widow who took her pleasure where she could get it and in return gave a little pleasure of her own. Though she was certainly good at what she did, the best part was she didn't expect any other connection than that of the sexual variety. He often found himself seeking her out whenever he was particularly stressed or frustrated. After a night with her he was back to his usual self and would leave without a word. She never complained though, and that's what he liked about her.

When you were an assassin, any emotional relationship was doomed to fail. From the constant danger to the emotional baggage, an assassins life was hard enough alone. A partner only increased the issues that were already present and most simply couldn't handle it. But, there were still those who tried to fight this unspoken rule. They would find a woman and fall in love, refusing to listen to common sense. Then, to no one's surprise, it ended in either tragedy or bitterness. Usually both.

The fact of the matter was that so many things could go wrong. Someone could end up tortured, kidnapped, or murdered, a vow of revenge would be made, and an assassin would spend his entire life seeking to fulfill it. Or the relationship could simply not be strong enough for the inevitable trials. The constant worrying, the secrets, and leaving at a moments notice. All these would take their toll on the assassin's partner. It would start with little disagreements, then escalate to fighting. In the end, both parties would do and say things that couldn't be taken back and it was all down hill from there.

That was why Connor just preferred to avoid any emotionally binding relationships. He was a man of coarse and he had needs, but it was purely physical. Just sex. In this, Elizabeth and he were on the same page. That was why this worked. They had sex, he left, and no one got hurt. No complicated emotions.

Walking down the street, he headed in the direction of the market remembering that Achilles had told him that they were running low on potatoes.

* * *

Aydan loved the smell of books. It was the musty scent of knowledge and emotion fluidly written and trapped in time, promising an escape from the harsh reality that you were forced to live in. It was a wonderful relief to find that, though she may have moved to a part of the world she knew little about, her true friends never changed. In Texas, she had been rather isolated so she had spent most of her time reading, and, though it somewhat concerned her father, it was her favorite pastime.

Reverently closing the copy of "The Odyssey", she took one last glance around the library. It wasn't the best, of course, but it was fairly well off for a simple colony library. The books were of a wide variety and stood neatly tucked in to their alphabetically corresponding cubbies. The aisles were labeled in a simple manner and made it easier to navigate the small maze of varnished cedar shelves. Between the rows of shelves resided matching tables of a sturdy build with cushioned chairs of blue cotton that looked , and felt, wonderfully plush. The overall atmosphere was one of quiet warmth and comfort that implored you to sit back, relax, and enjoy a good book. It was perfect.

Taking the novel in hand, Aydan approached the front desk and gave the bespeckled man behind the counter a polite smile with a quiet "Please." Smiling in kind, he took the book from her hold and flipped it open, pulling out the card. After quickly scribbling something down, he filed the card away and handed the book back to her.

"I hope you enjoy your read Miss …"

"Aydan Kent. I'm sorry, I should have properly introduced myself," she said feeling terribly embarrassed at her lack of manners. She may have been raised practically in the middle of nowhere, but her mother had taught her better. 'Dammit' she thought, as discomfort in her chest turned to a sharp stab. She had to learn to stop thinking about that." May I ask your name?" she inquired.

"Of course, Miss Kent. My name is Benjamin Franklin and may I say it is an honor to make the acquaintance of a beautiful young lady such as yourself?" he said warmly, punctuating his words with a crinkly smile.

Her own smile widening, she answered " You may. But, may I say how nice it is to be paid such a wonderful compliment by a man as dashing as you?"

" I'm afraid that outright lies are not allowed in this establishment, so you may not, but I am a man who will take his vanity where he can get it, so you may." he chuckled.

Laughing, Aydan decided that she liked this man very much. Taking her book from him, she giggled, " I look forward to seeing you again, Mr. Franklin."

"As do I, Miss Kent" he responded.

Then, with nothing more than a 'Thank you' and 'Have a good day' she walked out onto the busy streets of Boston with a slight skip in her step.

* * *

**Sorry for the wait you guys! I have no excuse for why it took so long other than being my usual lazy and procrastinating self. Special thanks to my one reviewer ( Why don't the rest of you love me?) When i finally found out how to see your review (I have this horrible love/hate relationship with technology. It's probably not healthy.) i started squealing like a Justin Beiber fangirl in the middle of my English class ( the sad part is that no one found that unusual) ,I was so excited and touched! Thank you for the wonderful review and i hope to hear more from you!**


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